Manufacturing Technology

With cleaning specifications and surface preparation requirements for secondary operations continuing to become more stringent, Cleaning Technologies Group LLC is developing its range of Ransohoff cleaning solutions to make sure it can meet its customers’ needs now and in the future.

Cleaning Technologies Group (CTG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NM Group Global LLC, founded in 2002 with the purchase of National Machinery LLC. The company offers a wide range of Ransohoff cleaning solutions that are well suited to meet the tough requirements of the fastener industry.

“Over the last five years cleaning specifications have gone from a ‘visual only’ clean to a definite particle size and weight measurement,” states CTG. “That is why we ensure our cleaning systems are designed to provide thorough, but gentle cleaning to remove all contaminants from part contours and surfaces. The Ransohoff line of parts cleaning equipment assures fastener manufacturers the highest quality results to meet the toughest challenges and most rigorous standards.”

The drive for critical cleaning has been spurred on by the costs associated with warranty and visual defects associated with particles, with the trend curve seeing a steep incline – leaving manufacturers in a catchup situation. Those manufacturers who have not kept up with technology have seen a decline in awarded contracts, especially in the automotive sector.

An example of how CTG’s Ransohoff solutions can help companies with this demand is its drum washers, which are standard systems utilising both spray and immersion technology and can be effectively used in large volume applications within the fastener industry. When it comes to in-line processes, drum/auger washers are typically the machine of choice for headed parts. This is because they can wash large volumes of parts per hour or can be placed at the end of a header machine for continuous flow. For smaller volumes, and in the precision fastener industry, the product line of choice is the Lean Jet RB (rotating basket) series. These systems include a wash, rinse and blowoff in the base machine and come in three sizes to meet almost every production demand.

Ransohoff has also recently launched a new machine called the LeanDrum CF (Cold Forming). This new platform provides an energy efficient, reliable solution for high volume cleaning needs, along with an innovated design for cold forming applications.

The LeanDrum CF features a robust, lower cost option utilising all stainless steel construction for the wetted surfaces including the housing, tanks, pumps and the drum. Ransohoff utilises premium electrical components, full immersion cleaning and forced air dryer technology to produce consistently high-quality cleaning results over an extended machine life. The new LeanDrum CF has also been designed for easy access that will allow easy drum removal for maintenance.

The new LeanDrum CF is a wash, rinse and blow-off machine in a small footprint of 4.7ft wide x 9.7ft long x 5ft height. The part production rate is 12 CU FT/hour at 2rpm design drum speed, with a variable speed drive capable of 1rpm – 3rpm. This machine offers both spray and full immersion cleaning. The new LeanDrum CF also comes standard with the industry leading 3-2-1 warranty.

Ransohoff also offers rotary basket parts washers for batch washing. The Ransohoff Lean Jet RB Series is designed to fit into a work cell area or a smaller to large production environment. The RB series of immersion cleaning systems uses CTG’s patented washing and rinsing process of agitation, spray impingement, rotation, and hydraulic purging through immersion. The series come standard with a forced air heated blow-off for drying. 

The triple action batch cleaning process was developed specifically to process a broad range of challenging parts, especially those with internal bores and passages. The RB Series has also been designed to integrate Blackstone Ney ultrasonics if needed. The totally enclosed self-ventilating process means the operator is not exposed to vapours or mists found in other cleaning processes.

Also newly introduced, the new Return to Load (RTL) spray cabinet – a member of the Cell-U-Clean line of parts washers that provides an energy efficient, reliable solution for high volume cleaning needs, along with an innovated design for those smaller part cleaning applications.

The RTL is an excellent cabinet return to operator washer for parts up to 40lbs, where floor space comes at a premium. This low cost spray washer was designed as a high capacity solution with low energy usage. The RTL platform comes standard as a wash blow-off unit but can be configured with an additional liquid stage when rinsing or a rust protection application is required.

The new Cell-U-Clean RTL is a wash and blow-off machine in a small footprint of 5ft wide x 8ft long x 6.8ft tall. The part production rate is up to 120 parts per hour, with a variable speed table drive. The Cell-U-Clean RTL is constructed of all stainless steel and comes with a robot loading option.